We go over some of the most well-known plays in football history that the Las Vegas Raiders team is known for.
Of all the NFL teams, the Raiders have arguably had the most memorable plays and games with names attached to them.
“The Heidi Game” (1968), “The Sea of Hands” (1974), “Old Man Willie” (1977), “Ghost to the Post” (1977), “The Holy Roller” (1978), and “The Mistake by the Lake” (1981) were among them.
Of course, there were also “The Immaculate Reception” in 1972 and “The Tuck Play” in 2002, which were negative examples.
In 1968, the Raiders were hosting Joe Namath and the New York Jets at the Oakland Coliseum. The game was running late in the fourth quarter when NBC decided to cut away to the iconic children’s film “Heidi” because it was taking place in the Eastern time zone.
With 1:05 left in the game, Jim Turner’s 26-yard field goal gave the Jets a 32-29 lead. However, the Raiders responded with two thrilling touchdowns to win 43-32.
Daryle Lamonica first found running back Charlie Smith with a ball across the middle. Smith then pivoted and carried the remaining distance for a 43-yard touchdown, giving the Raiders a 36-32 lead.
Following a series of Raider hits at the 10-yard line, Jets kicker Earl Christy fumbled. Running back Preston Ridlehuber of Oakland recovered the ball and scored another touchdown nine seconds later to make the final score 43-32. The ball squirted back to the two.
Voters selected “The Heidi Game” as the most memorable regular-season match in the history of professional football in 1997.
“Television missed one of football’s most exciting and exhausting minutes of emotion,” sportswriter Bob Valli stated in the Oakland Tribune. Oakland supporters witnessed delirium change from despair at that minute.
In an Oakland, California, divisional playoff game in 1974, the two-time reigning champion Miami Dolphins were headed for a third Super Bowl victory, leading 26–21 over the Raiders.
Nevertheless, the Raiders advanced to the Miami eight-yard line; however, before sending a desperate ball to running back Clarence Davis in the end zone, quarterback Kenny ‘The Snake’ Stabler appeared to be going to be sacked by Dolphins defensive end Vern Den Herder.
With 25 seconds remaining with three Dolphins encircling him, Davis—who was known for having terrible hands—managed to catch the throw for a touchdown, helping the Raiders pull off an unexpected 28-26 victory.
Dolphins defensive tackle Manny Fernandez said of Clarence Davis, “He couldn’t catch a cold, but he makes the big catch to win it in the last 30 seconds.” “That was most likely the only catch he made in his entire career.”
In the closing minutes of the 1977 playoffs, Stabler ordered tight end Dave ‘Ghost’ Casper on a post pattern with the Raiders behind the Baltimore Colts, 31-28. However, with safety positioned in the middle of the field, Casper drifted to the outside.
Stabler read the move and threw the ball in that direction, with Casper making an incredible catch of a ball that seemed to be overthrown for a 42-yard gain. That set up Errol Mann’s game-tying, a 31-yard field goal to tie the game. The Raiders won, 37-31, on Stabler’s 10-yard scoring pass to Casper 43 seconds into the second overtime. “Snake had already thrown the ball, guessing where I was going to go,” Casper said. “When I looked up over my shoulder, I took one look and said, ‘The ball isn’t going where I’m going.’ … I don’t think I caught (another) pass on that play all year.”
Raiders cornerback Willie Brown, then 37, felt quarterback Fran Tarkenton would throw a sideline pass to wide receiver Sammy White, and Brown planned to go for the interception. This was during the last quarter of Super Bowl XI in 1977. Brown told safeties Jack Tatum and George Atkinson to cover his back.
In order to seal a 32-14 victory, Brown cut in front of White, picked off the throw, and ran 75 yards for a score.
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